Friday, May 29, 2009

The show keeps our boys too hard at work for much else, but the extended cast has been busy, busy, busy. This isn’t everyone or everything, by far, but I thought I’d give you a sneak peak at some upcoming projects from SPN alum. Thanks, mostly, to the prodigious Jeffrey Dean Morgan, I’ll be doing this in two parts.

Ruby might be dead, but look for Genevieve Cortese in December’s American Empire. An indie “film noir, dark comedy of errors” with one heckuva hot cast.

Our beloved Jeffrey Dean Morgan (John Winchester) continues to be one sizzling star with at least six things on the slate.

First up is July’s All Good Things. This mystery has Jeffrey playing a detective trying to unravel a missing person’s case that could doom the heir to a NY real estate dynasty.

Come August, we’ll see him playing the lover of a closeted gay man who inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert of 1969 in Ang Lee’s awesome looking, Taking Woodstock.

Then in September, Jeffrey does this thing we wish he’d quit doing--he dies--which acts as the catalyst for his best friend (John Cusack) to return to Shanghai in the months before Pearl Harbor.

And, OMG, in 2010, he’s playing a stalker landlord with an obsession for his new tenant, Hilary Swank, in Invasion of Privacy. (Wicked Jeffrey is just so yummy.)

Also in 2010, Jeffrey’s turn as a “twisted, sado-masochistic henchman” in a yet-to-be-titled Beatle Boyin project.

And, finally, his first 2011 project is another graphic novel adaptation in which he’ll play a CIA black ops agent who’s out to get those responsible for attempting to assassinate his team in The Losers.

Katie Cassidy (former Ruby) has yet to bite the dust on Harper’s Island, but even if she never makes it to her wedding day she’s got a bright future ahead of her.

First, or maybe never, is the super secret Chris Carter project she filmed. Fencewalker was written, financed and directed by the X-Files scribe who says it’s a "coming-of-age semiautobiographical character piece with no supernatural elements." Hmm. Clear as mud, eh? Recently Katie called the script “amazing” and said it was a challenging, emotional role for her and she thought the film would be out at the end of the year. Let’s hope so!

This fall she’ll return to blonde and the CW when she stars as Ella Flynn, a bi-sexual publicist whose tongue is as sharp as her stilettos in the Melrose Place redux.

And since slasher remakes are all the rage, as Jared and Jensen proved this summer, watch for Katie in next year’s A Nightmare on Elm Street where she’s sure to fall victim to Freddy Kruger’s grisly glove.Finally, keep your eye out for Samantha Smith (Mary Winchester) in next month’s blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen where she’ll reprise her role as Sarah Lennox. (That’s the wife of hot Army Captain William Lennox (Josh Duhamel), in case you didn’t remember).

Monday, May 25, 2009

Betsy, thank you so much for agreeing to do an interview for Supernatural Sisters! As you know, your movie, Ten Inch Hero, came to our attention because one of its stars is Jensen Ackles. But during the long filmmaking process, and as you all worked to get distribution, we came to love the movie for itself--even before we saw it!

Well, thank you very much. Truly, the friends we’ve made during this process have been amazing. We’re so grateful for all their support!

But I want to back up and start at the beginning. How did you become a screenwriter? Do you do any other kind of writing?

I’m a technical writer by trade. Many of us consider creative writing, of course, but I never really explored that. Then, I read a copy of the screenplay for Sense and Sensibility, and the light bulb went on. I love film, and it had never really dawned on me that someone actually writes films. I know, I’m a slow learner, huh?

The internet was so helpful as well. I was living in Maryland when I first started writing screenplays, and I think I would have been very isolated without writers’ sites and groups. Plus, as a working mom, I do lots of my writing at night or really early in the morning. If I had to relying on a group that physically met every Thursday at 7, I couldn’t do it.

How much involvement the original writer has in the production of a movie varies quite a bit. You seem to have been heavily involved all the way through Ten Inch Hero. How did this come about? How much time did you get to spend on set and in the editing booth, etc?

The decision about involving the writer generally comes from the director and, to a lesser extent, the producers. The stories of writers being blocked from the set are legendary.

In my case, well, David and Mark have ruined me for all other production teams! They were so open and approachable, and they included me in anything. Any limitations were imposed by me, just because life interferes sometimes, and I haven’t figure out how to be three places at once yet!

What was it like, seeing your vision come to fruition during the different stages? Once a written work is turned over for production by many hands and minds, the vision is no longer just the original writer’s. So how close was the final product to what you pictured?

Very close, actually. I can’t believe how tightly they stayed to the script. A few scenes were cut, just in the interest of keeping the film moving. But really, it’s so close.

I’m pretty solid on the notion that a script is just a blue print, that everyone involved in a film contributes to the final product. I love the collaborative process—I think actors, the director, even the makeup people (or especially the makeup people in our case), can only add to the quality of the product.

Now I’m sure there will be times I’ll have to eat those words, but for Ten Inch Hero, that was certainly my experience.

The TIH family seems to be a close one. Was the set and post-production as intimate as other interviews/blogging/the film itself made it seem?

Yep, it was a close set. I think indie films just lend themselves to that.

Okay, I’ve worked up to this, but I’ll get strung up if I avoid it any longer. :)

The Jensen Questions.

How was he cast (audition, invitation, etc.)?

Honestly, I wasn’t involved in the initial contact, so I don’t know. I think David has addressed that question, but I don’t have personal knowledge. Sorry! :-)

When you first found out he’d be playing Priestly, what were your thoughts? (That works/no way/meh/we'll see/ohyesperfect/none of the above)

Well, I knew he wanted it, but he was very much against part. Priestly was supposed to be sort of a Seth Green type.

Mark, David, and I talked about it, and they were quite sold on him. I did some web surfing, and saw the fan support for Jensen. Then I watched Supernatural, and I knew he’d be just fine. (My husband and older daughter had been watching the show, but I hadn’t—probably because I was upstairs writing!)

Did he embody the character you wrote, or did Priestly morph once Jensen interpreted him?

Yes and yes. I wrote words on a page…it’s up to the actor to make him a living, breathing character. Jensen did a terrific job. I’d love to see him do more comedy.

Okay, back to you.

BORING! LOL!

Oh, no, very far from it! :) In addition to Ten Inch Hero, you have a co-writing credit and co-producing credit on Last Call at Murray’s, which sounds almost as good as Ten Inch Hero. What can you tell us about this film?

Er…it’s dead. Or maybe just in a really deep sleep. We’ll see.

This is just the world of independent film. I have two other indie projects in the same situation. Maybe we’ll get them made, maybe not. There’s nothing you can do, but write the next one!

Here’s where I get bold. :)

Bring it, woman! You don’t scare me! :-)

See why I love this woman? LOL

As novelists, we here at Supernatural Sisters know how hard it is to break into any level of professional writing. Most of the authors I know have day jobs, or waited a really long time before writing became their day job. So I’m always curious...do you have a day job, and if so, how well does it mesh with being a screenwriter? Is it something you’re also passionate about, or just a way to get by until the screenwriting suffices on its own?

Ha! Yeah, I guess most of us walk that wire, huh?

No, I’m very conservative that way. As long as I have bills to pay, I’m going to keep working the day job. I enjoy Tech Writing, and I work with great people (most of my department drove up and saw TIH at the Newport Beach film fest!). So, since “independently wealthy” is apparently off the table, this is a fine alternative.

Yes, I do wish there were more hours to write, but I also know that my daily experiences make me a better writer. For example, a script of mine called e-LOVE just won the Austin Film Festival…and it’s set in an office, with engineers as the main characters. I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I didn’t know that life first hand.

Congratulations on the win!

I loved Ten Inch Hero. I loved the personalities, and how each distinct story thread came back to the sandwich shop, where they had the kind of friendships and support system I think most of us long to have (or are grateful to have, if we’re lucky). Priestly and Jen, specifically, broke my heart several times.

But I have to say, many of us were disappointed that to get his heart’s desire, Priestly had to change. I can see that maybe his appearance and attitude were a form of hiding, and he had to have the courage to come out from behind them—this fit the theme of the movie as a whole. But if he’d been female, and had changed to catch the guy she wanted...well, the response probably would not be pretty. :)

So we were wondering (honest, there’s a question at the end of this!)...is this how you originally wrote the screenplay? If not, how did it come to change? And if so, can you give us some insight into your thoughts on the sequence?

Yes, this question has come up. Honestly it took me by surprise. It wasn’t something I expected to have upset people. Somehow, I think it’s more intense because Jensen cleans up so nicely…if it had been cast with an actor more close to the way the character is described in the script, it may not have been an issue.

My take is this: it’s a film. Everyone is welcome to interpret it the way they want. I kinda hate it when writers say “But, you missed the point, this is what you SHOULD have felt.” It doesn’t work that way! We all take our own interpretation away from any movie or book.

That said, here’s the way I see it, and again, your mileage may vary:

Boaz, well he is one strange guy. He realizes early on that people are going to judge him for his looks. He goes into a club, and girls are all over him, but the moment he starts talking about his conspiracies and God knows what else, the girls are making excuses and running for the door.

So he learns that women think he’s strange. And his response to this is “Screw you, I’ll show you strange.” And that’s when Priestly was born. In some ways, the ’hawk and the shirts and everything else are his armor. The girls in clubs leave him alone now, and he’s fine in his isolated world.

At no point does Tish say “Hey, I’d jump your bones if it wasn’t for all the piercings.” We see his affection for her, long before she does. He’s hiding it well. She only just realizes that maybe he’s interested when he stomps out of the shop after Jen stands up Fuzzy. And again, when he tackles Tad. That’s why, when they’re at Trucker’s, she looks right at him and says “Nice guys don’t ask me out.”

So, she’s sending the signals, but he’s not asking. Why? Because Priestly feels he has to stand before her (as Zo says in the last scene), naked and needy. Priestly doesn’t have to change for Tish; Priestly chose to expose what he considers his weakness to her (which also explains his outrage over Jen’s treatment of Fuzzy).

In other words, he knows that Tish likes Priestly, but he has to know that she can love Boaz before he can risk it.

Why is he still Banana Republic in the last scene? Well, it’s a wedding. Everyone is dressed up, except Zo and Trucker, God love ’em! And that’s significant…now he can choose how he wants to look. He’s not hiding behind anything. He still has his shirts and kilt.

Whew! Probably more than you wanted, but there it is. But really, I’m fine with people not buying that…as I said, everyone sees a movie differently.

Thanks for the insight, Betsy, and though I can’t speak for anyone else, I totally see it and love him even more for it.

Would you like to tell us what you’re working on now, and what’s upcoming? We are and will continue to be fans, calling as much attention as we can to your work!

Well, thank you for that!! Right now, I’m trying to find a home for e-LOVE, and I’m working on a new comedy called Junk Bonds (cowritten with Brian Beatty, who also co-wrote Last Call at Murray’s with me). I’ll be sure to let you know if anything develops. Wait, did I say IF? I mean WHEN! :-)

Thanks for the questions!

Thank YOU, Betsy, for taking the time to answer them, even the bold ones. :)

Ten Inch Hero is available on DVD and can be rented at your local Blockbuster or via the Blockbuster Online service, and can be purchased at Amazon or directly here, where they also offer the TIH crew T-shirt!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Season 4 of Supernatural started with the breaking of the first of the 66 seals that needed to be broken to allow Lucifer to walk the earth, and it ended with the last of those 66 being destroyed. Dean broke the first by being a righteous man spilling blood in hell, and Sam broke the last (which turned out to be Lilith herself) by killing her. Sam was the one to take the action that opened the door to Lucifer's cage, but if we step back and look at the entirety of the process one could argue that Dean's breaking of the first seal was actually worse. Why?

1. Because it started the domino effect. It seemed that the seals started breaking faster and faster as the season moved along once this first seal was broken.

2. Because what he did to break the first seal was self-serving. It was totally understandable considering what he was going through, but still self-serving.

3. Even though Sam was trusting and being tricked by a demon, he honestly thought he was doing the right thing and preventing the apocalypse. He was even willing to sacrifice himself to Lilith if it prevented Lucifer rising.

Though I am not a theology expert, I don't believe the 66 seals are real. But the concept of seals in Christianity is familiar and a good jumping-off point for creating a fictional storyline because of that familiarity and unease about it. The opening of the seven seals is included in the Book of Revelation and signal the End Times (must like the 66 do in the Supernatural world). The first four (Conquest, War, Famine, Death) are identified with different color horses and are more commonly known as the Four Horses (or Horsemen) of the Apocalypse. They are followed by the Vision of Martyrs (a vision of those slain for the Word of God), Great Earthquake/Visions in Heaven/Marking of the 144,000 servants of God, and Trumpets of Angels/End of the World.

I think stories that are tied even in the loosest way to one of the modern theologies make people more uncomfortable than stories that couldn't possibly be real (vampires, werewolves and djinn, oh my!). Perhaps that's why this season has been a bit uncomfortable while also being incredibly awesome.

Do you all feel the same way about stories which draw on Christianity or other modern religions?

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The winner of the big prize package is Diamond. If you commented under that user name, please contact me! E-mail address is natalie @ nataliedamschroder.com (without the spaces). Only three days left to respond, or I'll have to draw someone else!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in our Finale Week contest! It was awesome to hear from so many people, and welcome to the new posters--we hope you continue to read and comment from time to time! We have the best discussions that way.

So, because we had multiple comments over several posts, and because a lot of the commenters were ourselves, I just wrote everyone's names on slips of paper, emptied out my candy jar, put the folded slips in the jar, mixed them around, mixed them around some more, and drew...

DIAMOND!

Diamond, please e-mail me at natalie AT nataliedamschroder.com with your full name and mailing address. As soon as all the goodies are here and packed, I'll ship them out to you. Please contact me by May 24. In case of e-mail glitches, if you don't hear back from me within 24 hours or so, post a comment here and we'll make sure to connect somehow. If May 24 goes by with no contact, I'll draw another name.

So thanks again, everyone, and stay tuned for a summer full of interviews, hilarity, provocative thought, speculation, and whining that the season premiere is too far away. :)

Monday, May 18, 2009

In my previous review of Supernatural: Origin, the graphic novel that tells John’s story of becoming a hunter after Mary’s death, I talked about liking the story, but not the art. This follow up, Rising Son, is just the opposite.

As for the tale…Chapter 1 begins Christmas Eve of 1990. John’s lost his job and been evicted from their hotel. If that’s not bad enough, the letter he mailed to Mary’s cousin, Eddie, comes back “return to sender.” Ever since his wife died, Mary’s friends, family and co-workers have been disappearing. But Eddie’s always stayed on John’s grid until now. Concerned, John and the boys hit the road and take a detour down Old Route 25 where John arrives in sex city. The small town is populated by stunning women who are all too happy to give him their undivided attention. Eddie’s there and warns John to get out, but he’s nearly seduced by a succubus. When he fights back the Succubi turn into his dead wife and poor John ends up slaughtering a bar full of Mary’s. Eddie is murdered before John can rescue him. The Winchesters takes off, while a mysterious woman follows John’s trail looking for Sammy.

Chapter 2 hits on stuff we learned from John Winchester’s Journal. John decides maybe it’s best to settle down for awhile, give the boys some normalcy. Sam makes friends right away and gets a lot of attention from his pretty teacher, Ms. Lyle. Dean, on the other hand, is lonely and miserable. When Ms. Lyle turns her attention to John they start to look like a real family. Then Ms. Lyle ends up taking Sammy to a science fair, but a suspicious Dean warns his dad there’s something wrong with her. He’s right. John’s been sleeping with a demon and she’s actually brought Sammy to the crossroads to take him into another dimension. John battles her and a transformer made from railroad parts. This rail-robot seems very out of place in a SPN story, but it’s kicking John’s bootay.

Chapter 3 has Dean exorcising the demons and the boys running to Bobby’s. Bobby tells John to visit Silas, a blind seer, who may be able to tell him why Sammy is special. John’s visit rouses Silas from a coma he’s been in since the date of Mary’s death. He confirms that Sam is special, but doesn’t say why, only that John and Dean need to be prepared. Taking his advice to heart, John takes Dean on a deer hunt to sharpen his skills, but the twelve year old is scared and unsure. In the end, Sammy sneaks away from Bobby’s and makes the kill. When John asks how Sammy got there he said some guy in a black car dropped him off. Shaken, John leaves Sammy with Silas so he can, hopefully, learn more about what makes him different. While they have their private confab, he and Dean go out for burgers and John explains to his eldest son how much he needs him and trusts him. On their way back to Sammy, they see the mysterious black car. That doesn’t bode well. Sure enough, Silas is dead. The words KILL HIM are painted in blood on his kitchen wall.

Chapter 4 reveals that the driver of the black car is an albino hunter named Anderson, who not only believes Sam killed Silas, but that he’s evil and “destined to raise an army of darkness against the world.” In the end, Dean ends up shooting Anderson and Sam tells his dad “you need to kill me.” The chapter ends with John taking Sam up on a hill to watch the sun come up, for just a minute we’re led to believe he’s considering shooting his son, but, of course, he doesn’t.

In Chapter 5, John brutally hunts down Anderson’s cohorts and then holes up in Daleville, Mississippi with the boys. He plans to stand and fight anyone else who comes for Sam. It doesn’t take long before they’re surrounded, but this time it’s not hunters. It’s demons. The Winchesters manage to escape with a poorly executed plan and they learn Ms. Lyle is really called Lilith. John then dumps a very pissed off Dean and still clueless Sam at his friend’s house. The boys are stuck with Pam, while dear old dad goes off to find Lilith. If only John had realized his friend, is actually a demon. (sigh)

In Chapter 6 we find more sexuality and stupidity. Pam lets Ms. Lyle into the house. Looking like porn star, she’s there to reclaim Sam. Dean tells his little brother to run while he fights off Lilith, who kisses Dean after he calls her a bitch.(Ew, ew, ew!) Fortunately, John shows up in the nick of time. Dean sets fire to Lilith and Dad chops off her head. Black smoke whirls away and the Winchesters are safe.The story ends with a grown up Dean showing up at Stanford to find his little brother.

Okay, while I thoroughly enjoyed Diego Olmos’s artwork, I found myself annoyed with the story. Sure, it was cool to see how Dean came to be the hunter he is, and I loved the introduction to Bobby (whose cartoonization had the strongest resemblance to the actor), but the majority of the time I had this thought in my head: John Winchester is too stupid to live. Perhaps his brain was fogged by all the sexual undertones in the story, but I wanted to smack him for all his stupid mistakes. Granted, he’s a newbie, but I didn’t think it was in character for him to repeatedly be an idjit. That said, the best part of this graphic novel came in the last four pages where Kripke himself made his comic debut by co-writing The Beast with Two Backs, a hilarious GhostFacers bonus story that pokes fun at Sam and Dean.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Sorry I'm late with the weekly preview. Totally forgot! I'm blaming it on the wreck I had yesterday. As I mentioned before, even though Supernatural is over for the season, we're not! Here's what we have coming up this week:

Monday -- Terri will review the Rising Son graphic novel.

Wednesday -- Tanya blogs about "All I Really Need to Know, I Learned from the Winchesters." Can't wait to see what I need to know.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

If you haven't had anything to say on this week's posts so far, no worries. You don't need to be pithy or amusing or introduce a new theory or anything. Just post a comment on ANY post this week, and you'll be part of the drawing!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Lucifer Rising. We couldn't get a more ominous title for a season finale. So it was no surprise that I sat down to watch tonight's Supernatural finale with no little amount of concern about what was going to happen to the Winchester boys and between them.

The recap started with clips set to a song that I will forever equate to Supernatural now -- "Carry On, My Wayward Son" by Kansas. If you listen to the lyrics, it makes you wonder if there really will "be peace when you are done" for the boys.

We launch into the episode with a flashback to 1972, at St. Mary's Convent in Ilchester, Maryland. A demon (who turns out to be our old pal the Yellow-Eyed Demon, aka Azazel) possesses a priest, who then proceeds to tell the stunned nuns in the sanctuary that his daddy (i.e. Lucifer) was an angel and that the door to his cage is at the convent. (You know where we're going to end up at the end of the episode.) After his revelation, he proceeds to kill them. We don't see the carnage, but we can imagine it as we hear the screams through the closed doors. And we know that this horrific act is setting in motion the events that eventually sweep up the Winchester brothers.

Next up we see Sam and Ruby. Sam is lamenting what is probably the final break with Dean. He says he can feel the changes inside of him, that there's no going back. And that Dean is better off without him.

While Sam and Ruby go do their thing, we see an emotionally wrung-out Dean still at Bobby's house, refusing to call or go after Sam. He's tired of trying to save his brother when all he does is fail. Bobby, in a fit of anger, shoves a bunch of files off a table and turns on Dean and delivers the following: "You stupid, stupid son of a bitch. Well, boo hoo, I'm so sorry your feelings are hurt, Princess. Are you under the impression that family is supposed to make you feel good? Make you an apple pie maybe? They're supposed to make you miserable. That's why they're family!" Go, Bobby! We've seen emo Sam and even some emo Dean, but something we don't have to suffer is emo Bobby. :)

But wait! Bobby isn't finished. He tells Dean that he sounds like his daddy, that John was a coward because he pushed Sam away instead of reaching out to him. Challenging Dean to change his mind about Sam, he says, "You're a better man than your daddy ever was." Dean turns around and finds he's not in Kansas -- oops, sorry -- not in Bobby's house anymore. Instead, he's in a lavishly furnished room with a large table in the middle and large paintings on the walls. Castiel appears and says, "It's almost time" in that criptic way that tries Dean's patience.

Back to the Sam and Ruby show -- we see Lilith's "chef" stealing a baby from a hospital, but the fearsome twosome stop her and says they want to know where Lilith is.

The next thing to show up in Dean's fancy prison is a huge plate of cheeseburgers and a bunch of chilled bottles of beer. Seriously, I don't think angels are going to give someone beer. Just my humble opinion. And then Zachariah shows up along with Cas. Dean says, "Well, how about this, the sweet life of Zach and Cas" in a shoutout to tween favorite The Suite Life of Zack and Cody on the Disney Channel, which I'm pretty sure Dean would never watch. Perhaps stretching a little on the pop culture references here. Perhaps that's why Zachariah looks so confused. And in more pop culture references, Zachariah tries to tempt Dean with Ginger from the second season of Gilligan's Island. "We'll even throw in Mary Ann for free." I have to say that other than Castiel, I really don't like how the angels are being portrayed as dicks who tempt people with vices like fast food, beer and "sluts". It sounds like something the demons would do! Angels can be portrayed as fierce warriors, as beings to be feared, without making them complete asses.

Anyway, Dean refuses Zachariah's offers by saying, "Bail on the holodeck, okay?" in a reference to Star Trek. (Hmm, wonder if that has anything to do with Star Trek being in theaters now. BTW, it's awesome! Wonder if Kripke and J.J. Abrams are friends.) When he says, "Start talking, Chuckles," I had to...well, chuckle. :) Zachariah says all the seals have fallen except one, and Lilith is the only one who can break the final seal.

On that note, we're back with Sam and Ruby. Sam is torturing the demon nurse to get the info he wants. While this is going on, Dean rethinks his earlier stance and calls Sam. While he's still angry, he does offer an apology on Sam's voice mail. The demon figures she'll save herself from being bled dry by Sam by handing consciousness back over to her host, a very scared nurse.

We flash back to 1972 again. Azazel in the priest host is talking to Lucifer, who is speaking through the body of dead nun at the front of the sanctuary. Lucifer tells Azazel that he has to go find a very special child, which we all know is Sam.

Meanwhile, back in the present, Sam is continuing down his dark road by stuffing the screaming nurse in the trunk of the car he and Ruby are using. You can see the horror at what he's doing on his face, but he is still trying to hold on to the belief that he's doing what's right for the greater good.

Dean asks Castiel to take him to see Sam, but Cas refuses. When Dean trie to leave, Cas makes all the doors out of the room disappear. Dean, never one to sit on the sidelines when there's a fight to be had, is frustrated to the nth degree.

Back on the road with Demon Girl and Special Boy (aka Ruby and Sam), the nurse's screams from the trunk are getting to Sam. He's beginning to doubt his conviction, wondering if Dean was right about everything. Predictably, Ruby gives him a pep talk to keep him going down the path she says is the right one.

When Zachariah tells Dean that he won't stop Lilith, Dean realizes that Zach doesn't want to stop the apocolypse. Zach says he never did. He likens what's coming to an Ali-Foreman fight, and says his side will win and it'll be peace on earth. Dean looks around the room at all the apocolyptic paintings of demons killing humans and realizes what's in store for humanity. Zach is unconcerned about the people caught in the middle and says, "This isn't the first planetary enema we've delivered." You know, I really don't like this guy. He's right up there with Uriel. Then Zachariah tells Dean that he still has a role to play, that he won't stop Lilith or the breaking of the final seal or the breaking of the seals. Instead, he'll stop Lucifer.

"You're our own little Russel Crowe, complete with surly attitude," Zachariah says. Again, too much of a pop culture stretch. He promises Dean will be rewarded beyond imagination after it's over to which Dean says, "Tell me something. Where's the God in all this?" Zachariah replies, "God? God has left the building." Huh? What exactly does that mean?

Lilith arrives at convent. Dean tries to punch Cas with no effect other than hurting his own hand. Dean tells Cas to "take your peace and shove it up your lily-white ass." (You know, I'm guessing the Vatican would like this show about as much as it does Angels & Demons.) Dean says he'd rather suffer than "be some Stepford bitch in paradise." He challenges Cas, telling him he knows there's a right and a wrong here. Cas says that if he does what Dean wants, they'll all be hunted down and killed. Dean replies, "If there's anything worth dying for, this is it."

The next scene is a heartbreaker. Sam sees that he has a message from Dean and plays it. Even the music has us expecting him to hear the apology Dean sent earlier. Instead, it's either an earlier message or something planted by Ruby or the angels -- Dean calling Sam a bloodsucking freak, a vampire, and that he's done trying to save him. There's no going back. It's enough to push Sam far enough that he okays Ruby's knifing of the nurse so he can drink the demon's blood. Behind Sam's back, Ruby's satisfied smile had me wanting to pitch something at the TV and making me regret ever having believed she might have been telling the truth and truly on the side of good. Bitch!

Cas returns to where Dean is stuck and has obviously made his decision to disobey his superiors again and help Dean escape. He has to get rid of Zachariah temporarily and tells Dean that they have to keep Sam from killing Lilith because she actually IS the last seal (shades of Harry Potter being a horcrux, anyone?). Next we see the cough*Phophet*cough Chuck on the phone ordering some hookers. Nice (eye roll). He turns around and is shocked to see Cas and Dean in his house, says, "This isn't supposed to happen." Cas says they're making it up as they go. The words are barely out of his mouth before the archangel shows up with the sharing shaking and intense white light again. Cas tells Dean to go and he'll hold him off as long as he can. Okay, I really, really don't want Cas to have died in this effort. I want his earlier statement about being hunted to show up in fact next season. I want to see him teamed up with the boys, and perhaps even goofy, horny Chuck.

Sam and Ruby confront Lilith, and despite a pause when he hears Dean calling his name, Sam does the deed and kills Lilith. At that moment, Ruby's true intent comes out as she reveals that Sam has opened the doorway to let out Lucifer. Hello, saw that coming with the episode title. Sam is hor-ri-fied. He's been played by Ruby, just like Dean said. He tries to kill Ruby only to find out that he's all out of power; he used it all killing Lilith. But Ruby isn't Lilith, and Sam isn't the only person who can kill her. Sam holds her while Dean shoves a knife into her and dispatches her. Go, Dean!

Even though I know what's coming, this moment made me happy. We ended the season with the brothers not facing off in a cataclysmic death match but once again on the same side, standing side by side as they watch the doorway open that will allow Lucifer to rise.

"Dean, he's coming," Sam says to end a most excellent season.

So, I'm left with these questions:

1. Why was Sam the only one who could kill Lilith and open the doorway? Is he Lucifer's son?

2. How in the world are Sam and Dean going to fight Lucifer, especially when they've probably ticked off the other side?

3. Is there any word on who will play Lucifer next season? Who could pull that off?

4. Did Cas survive?

5. Will we still see distance between Sam and Dean, or will the magnitude of what they are facing firmly plant them on the same side?

6. With Lucifer on the loose, will we have any opportunities for the fun monster-of-the-week episodes?

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

1) Playthings, when the boys enter the attic to see Rose. “Dude, you are not going to poke her with a stick!”2) Ghostfacers, particularly the first scene where the Ghostfacers are speaking to the camera about the writer’s strike3) A Very Supernatural Christmas. “You fudging touch me again and I’ll fudging kill you!”4) Mystery Spot. “Do these tacos taste funny to you?”5) Wishing Well. The teddy bear. I’m laughing just thinking about it.6) The Monster at the End of this Book. “I am the Prophet Chuck.” Or, “You should have seen Luke.”7) The Monster at the End of this Book. Sam Slash Dean.8) Bad Day at Black Rock. Sam’s shoe.9) What Is and What Shall Never Be. Dean mowing the lawn.10) Yellow Fever. Dean screaming when he finds the cat in the locker.

Top Ten Metallicar Moments

1) Croatoan. Trying to get away from the infected men near the bridge. Nice spin!2) Bloodlust. Cruising over the hill as “Back in Black” plays.3) Pilot. Crashing into the house to take the ghost home.4) Everybody Loves a Clown. Getting beat to hell by Dean. (The only reason to watch that episode, BTW.)5) Devil’s Trap. The crash. Still makes me catch my breath.6) Route 666. Outrunning the haunted truck.7) Nightshifter. Giving the boys refuge after their night in the bank, while “Renegade” plays.8) Croatoan. Being given to strangers when Dean chooses to stay with Sam.9) Simon Says. Being given to Andy without thought, thanks to mind control. 10) What Is and What Shall Never Be. Having only some tools and skin magazines in her trunk. “What do you know, baby? We’re civilians.”

Top Ten Scariest Episodes

1) Blood Mary (she could be anywhere!)2) Scarecrow (he was creeeepy!)3) Skin (he could look just like you!)4) Nightshifter (STILL could look just like you!)5) Asylum6) Devil’s Trap (YED was Daddy!!!)7) Hunted (Gordon was nuts)8) Born Under a Bad Sign (Sam! Possessed!)9) Jus in Bello (Trapped!)10) No Rest for the Wicked (Dean! Hell!!! Sam can’t help!)

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Comment any day this week to be entered into a contest to win an awesome prize! A jam-packed Supernatural convention tote packed with autographed books (by us, not by Supernatural people, sorry!) and lots of fun Supernatural merchandise, all donated by the Supernatural Sisters. Complete rules available here.

Monday, May 11, 2009

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I love Supernatural more than any other show, but it's not the only show I love. My favorites tend to have humor, adventure, mind-bendingly serialized plots, and characters I fall for on day 1.

None of them measure up completely. SPN is the only show that's appointment TV for me. But if you take all the good stuff from each of my other current favorites, it might come closer:

1. Rick Castle's wisecracking (Castle)

2. Reaper's bad guys from hell

3. Prison Break's brothers who would do anything for each other--except right now.

4. The "where the hell are we going?" factor from Lost

5. The fake ID element in Dollhouse

6. The young buck asserting his power and a beguiling young woman who's probably untrustworthy (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)

All of those shows are ones I'd miss, but somehow, the synergy that is Supernatural is the only one I'd cry over. In my bed. With the covers over my head. For a week.

There's only been one other show my entire life that I've watched over and over and over, and carry on my iPod. Firefly had humor ("I'll be in my bunk") and depth (brother who would do anything to save his sister, captain who would do anything for his crew) and complex interpersonal relationships. If it had been allowed to continue for five seasons, I'm guessing it would trump SPN on my all-time list. As it happens, it wasn't. So I'm going to have to put them neck and neck with humor, adventure, drama, and characterization.

But there's only one show that has ripped my heart out, asked me to stuff it back in, and ripped it out again. Then stomped on it. And had me beg for more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Since this week is sure to do that again, let me end on a lighter note. Thanks to AuthorM for the vid!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~What elements do your other favorite shows share with Supernatural? Which show does it better? Weigh in with a comment, and remember that commenting enters you in the contest for a bag stuffed with goodies!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

In honor of Finale Week, Trish, Terri, Tanya, Mary, and I are sponsoring a big contest!

We're giving away a Supernatural tote bag (with Sam and Dean on the outside, but on a discreet patch) stuffed with copies of our books as well as Supernatural merchandise.

How do you get a chance to win?

Every person who comments this week, on the Monday-through-Friday posts, will be entered and a random winner will be chosen next Monday night. Comments through midnight on Sunday, May 17 will count. One entry per person. You may comment anonymously, but must include some kind of identifier in your comment.

The winner will be announced in a separate post on the main blog and must respond by May 24, sending full contact information to the e-mail address provided. If we don't hear from the winner chosen, a new winner will be drawn.

Friday, May 8, 2009

I would have posted my recap/summary of last night's ep "When the Levee Breaks" sooner, but I was too traumatized. Apparently, I can not type while curled up in the fetal position and sobbing. When I buy this season's DVDs, I doubt that this episode will be one I choose to watch over and over. And yet, it represented some compelling writing and great performances. (Also, addiction metaphors are nothing new in the paranormal shows I watch, but this one was done far better than most. Maybe because there's seemingly more at stake or because the writers have been slowly building it to a crisis point all season or because Padalecki is awesome?)

Last week left us with Castiel repossessing (is it called a possession when it's an angel taking over the body?) Jimmy, but seeming less than helpful when it came to our boys and of course the BIG part of last week's ending was Bobby and Dean shoving Sam into Bobby's panic room--definitely one of the least plush rehab centers out there. Sam needs to detox from the demon blood, but that raises questions. Will demon DTs kill him? And, if he's not regularly imbibing, is there going to be anyone strong enough to defeat Lilith (who Ruby tells us later in the episode was once a human and Lucifer turned her into the first demon)?

Just as it was painful for Dean and Bobby to sit upstairs and listen to Sam's screams and pleas for help, it was painful to watch Sam's hallucinations. The first involved recently vanquished Allistair who had, predictably, come to torture Sam. Although less gory, the second hallucination was still pretty painful--a young Sam demanding to know why older Sam had screwed up their life. But then young Sam's eyes flashed yellow and he acknowledged that maybe it wasn't really sam's fault because, after all, there had always been demon inside.

The vision that bothered me the most was the one with Mary Winchester. As soon as Sam saw her, he slumped and said defensively that she should just go ahead and say it, how disappointed she is in him. (Like Mary wouldn't understand making desperate choices? One could argue that she's the one who originated this mess, putting him on the path of being questionably dark inside when she made the deal with Yellow Eyes that saved John.) Mary quickly assures him that she DOES understand and that she's proud, that she comes from a long line of hunters and they recognize that sometimes you have to do the hard thing. (Sure, sure, sometimes you take on the Reavers even if it looks like a suicide mission and sometimes you sacrifice your life to close the dimensional portal, but I think the point Dean tries to make throughout the episode is, if you have to turn yourself into what your fighting in order to do it, is there even any meaning in it?)

Then hallucination-rationalization Mary ticks me off completely when she begins bashing Dean and how "weak" he is. (And I'm further annoyed with Sam, even though he is hurting, because I know this is just his strung out subconscious telling him what he wants to hear and what he's been implying or straight out stating through the last half dozen episodes.)

Meanwhile, Dean finally does manage to summon Cass and agrees that he will do whatever "god" (so not the one I happen to believe in) asks in exchange for keeping the focus on HIM and not trying to make Sam the warrior in this particular battle. (Wasn't it Castiel himself who said that, according to prophecy, Dean had to end the apocalpyse since his unknowingly breaking the first seal set it in motion?) It was not a warm and fuzzy conversation and the following scene showed Bobby annoyed that Dean had basically signed on to be the angels' bitch.

I will admit to a completely irrational moment where I wondered if Bobby had become possessed. He tries to talk Dean into freeing Sam and just letting him go fill up on demon blood, for the greater good. And it occurred to me that this is probably exactly what the demon's want since they know it's corrupting Sam and may eventually turn him into a powerful force for their side.

And remember before when I said the hallucination that bothered me the most was with Mary? I spoke too soon. Because now we get a horrible vision where Dean explaining that he and Bobby had to tie down Sam because Sam's psyhic jonesing was causing him to fly around the room, getting bashed up in the process. That much was true, so it took me a sec to realize this conversation wasn't actually happening. Upstairs, Sam tells Bobby that he'd rather let his brother die detoxing than turn him into a soulless monster just to save other souls. This is juxtaposed with Dean sneering at Sammy that he is a monster. Ouch.

Then we come to Sam (alone now) watching in amazement as his shackles fall away and the door silently opens. Given the spells, the salt and the IRON PANIC ROOM, I deduced this couldn't be a demon. And, given the rest of the ep, I believed Sam was hallucinating. Until we see Cass slightly off screen. You winged bastard! What do you think you're doing? Bobby, armed with a shotgun, tries to get Sam to go back inside (and Jim Beaver gives a very poignant performance here) but Sam calls his bluff, knocks him out and drives away. (Sam, if I weren't an out of shape wuss and you weren't like a twelve foot wall of muscle, I would totally kick your ass.)

Quick scene where angel-Anna lands behind Castiel to demand, esentially, You winged bastard, what do you think you're doing? Darn good question, IMO. He tells her he was following orders. (Isn't that the exact defense always given by people being tried for war crimes?) Then he tells her she shouldn't have come and she is dragged away by two Enforcer Angers in a beam of light.

Sam books a hotel suite for him and Ruby and after the sexually charged blood-letting (which, ew) she tells him she has a lead on someone who may have a lead on Lilith (and I'm skipping the disturbing forty five seconds of that subplot because, again, ew). More important than the demonically possessed pediatric nurse I'm not mentioning is that Sam, getting ready to go interrogate her, tells Ruby how depressed he is that he and Dean have come to this. Yeah, him and THE ENTIRE VIEWING AUDIENCE. We see a little brother who hopes against hope that they could work things out.

And then we see big brother driving hellbent for leather in the Impala to save Sam from himself (starting with, killing Ruby). Bobby calls to caution Dean not to let anger drive Sam away. Aw, Bobby. Thanks for trying. Have you met these boys?

After Sam has ostensibly left to fight the good fight (or, you know, whatever fight he's fighting these days), Dean goes after Ruby with a knife and, predictably, is stopped by Sam. Seriously, who didn't see that coming? Sam tells Ruby to get out of there, seeming to choose demons over his brother, and the boys begin arguing. Things get heated until they build to the breaking moment. I saw it coming (so did Sam) but it was so well done, so painful that you were already wincing before Dean did in fact call his brother a monster.

And then Sam decked him and they started wailing on each other. It ended with Sam nearly choking Dean, then pulling away to say Dean doesn't know him. Never has, never will. And he storms out. Leaving Dean and the rest of us in a painful, bloody mess of debris.

Wow. This all makes for a hell of a tense show down for the finale, but I'm not sure I can take it if the entire next season is about the boys fighting each other. Whimper.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Historically, the Hook Man urban legend has always been a cautionary tale against sex. The story goes like this:

A girl and a guy park on lover’s lane and things start getting hot and heavy when a warning about an escaped convict airs over the radio. The killer has snuck out of a nearby sanitarium and he’s (right) armed with a hook. The girl freaks and insists her beau takes his hands off her and heads home. The sexually frustrated boyfriend burns rubber out of there. At her place they discover a bloody hook dangling from the passenger door handle. Moral of the story? You do it, you die.

Supposedly this myth has been around since the 1950’s, but the earliest print recording of the legend comes from a 1960 Dear Abby column:

DEAR ABBY: If you are interested in teenagers, you will print this story. I don't know whether it's true or not, but it doesn't matter because it served its purpose for me:

A fellow and his date pulled into their favorite "lovers' lane" to listen to the radio and do a little necking. The music was interrupted by an announcer who said there was an escaped convict in the area who had served time for rape and robbery. He was described as having a hook instead of a right hand. The couple became frightened and drove away. When the boy took his girl home, he went around to open the car door for her. Then he saw — a hook on the door handle! I don't think I will ever park to make out as long as I live. I hope this does the same for other kids.

In season 1, episode 7, Supernatural put its own spin on the Hookman, by combining it with another, similar story often referred to as The Boyfriend’s Death. In this classicly creepy episode, sorority girl Lori is parked under a train trestle with her frat boyfriend. He starts to get a little handsy and she calls a halt to things. Then they hear an awful, hook on metal, screeching sound around and then ON the car. Her date gets out to check things and disappears. When Lori decides to make a run for it she takes a look back and finds her dead boyfriend hanging upside down over the car, his nails raking the roof.

In the legend, tracked back as far as the 60’s, a young couple is on a date when they run out of gas on a country road. The guy decides to hike to the nearest station, while she stays there. After awhile, she starts to hear this scary scratching noise on the roof of the car. Here the story varies a little, sometimes the police rescue her, sometimes she gets out to check the annoying noise, but all have the same result…the girl looks back and finds her murdered boyfriend hung over the car.

Unlike the Bloody Mary legend whose roots in reality are questionable, the real fear of the hook man comes from a history of true lover’s lane murders. Granted they probably weren’t committed by the spirit of a disgruntled preacher wanting to punish prostitutes for their “sins of the flesh,” but Kripke and Co. know how to take the shadowy things that haunt our nightmares and flesh them out to up our fear.

Monday, May 4, 2009

I don’t claim to be an expert on converting people to Supernatural. I gave my brother the first season when he broke his back, but I don’t think he’s watched it. I loaned my first season DVDs to my parents and baby brother but while they watched it, they don’t watch the new episodes. I think I MAY have hooked Michelle Rowen because I posted pictures of pretty boys on my blog. I do know she now has a cat named Sammy. Whether I can take credit…..

The recent Entertainment Weekly episode listed some episodes for people new to the show to watch. This made me think…what episodes would I suggest to someone just getting started in the show? (It gets harder as the season progresses because of the mythology, but here are my picks.)

1) The pilot. In my opinion, it’s one of the all-time best pilots, with a balance of backstory (though Kripke laments the awkward dialogue between the brothers relaying the information), humor, urban legend and scariness. Hey, I watched the pilot and bought the first season. We’re introduced to John’s journal and Dean’s love for the Impala.

2) Bloody Mary. Creeeeeepy, great interaction between the brothers

3) Hook Man. Creeeeeeeeeepy, one of my favorites. I love the urban legend, the girl, the brothers. This interaction:Dean: I told him you were a dumbass pledge and that we were hazing you.Sam: What about the shotgun?Dean: I said that you were hunting ghosts and spirits were repelled by rock salt. You know, typical Hell Week prank.Sam: And he believed you?Dean: Well you look like a dumbass pledge.

4) Scarecrow. One of my very favorite episodes. It’s on my iPod and I watch it all the time. It’s scary and has terrific conflict between the brothers, but is a self-contained episode.5) Faith. Oh, man. Great episode. Emotional, scary, also with some great lines to diffuse the tension. Dean: That fabric softener teddy bear. Oooh! I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down.

6) Hellhouse. The pranks, the Ghostfacers, the scary tulpa. Another one on my iPod. Dean: Man I hate rats.Sam: Would you rather it was a ghost?Dean: Yes.

Harry: What are you guys doing here?Dean: What the hell are you doing here?Ed: Uh, we belong here, we're professionals.Dean: Professional what?

Dean: What's the matter, Sammy? You afraid you gonna get a little Nair in your shampoo again, huh?Sam: All right. Just remember you started it.Dean: Oh, bring it on, baldy.

8) Bad Day at Black Rock. Funny, with enough history to clue in a new watcher.

Sam: I lost my shoe.

Dean: I’m Batman!

9) Bloodlust. We have the return of the Metallicar and badass Dean, who starts to doubt his job after all these years.Sam: (talking to Dean) Give you a couple of severed heads and a pile of dead cows and you're Mr. Sunshine.

10) A Very Supernatural Christmas. Funny, different, a bit gross, but poignantDean: You fudge'n touch me again, I'll fudge'n kill you!11) Ghostfacers—funny, creepy, shows the work the brothers do, and that they can’t save everyone.Dean: Hey, Ed, listen to me. There's some salt in my duffel. Make a circle and get inside.Ed: Inside your duffel bag?Dean: In the salt, you idiot!

3) Yellow Fever—too violent at the end, though this is the Denim Shirt show. Guh.

4) The Monster at the End of This Book—another favorite, but too heavy on mythology

5) Hunted. Too much about the psychic powers for a new watcher, but terrific tension

6) The Benders. Can you tell I loved Season 1? But since these aren’t supernatural beings, not a good starter episode.7) Jus in Bello. LOVED this episode, but you’d have to know about Henrickson and all the Lilith/Ruby stuff.8) Nightshifter. Another terrific episode, but you’d need more history to watch, I think.

What episodes would you recommend to a new viewer? Can you think of other ways to hook someone on Supernatural?

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Friday, May 1, 2009

The "Then" recap at the beginning of the episode highlighted the two things we'd be exploring this episode, and they were biggies -- how Castiel came to be in that human vessel he wears and more about Sam's demon blood sucking.

First off, let me say that it takes way longer to watch an episode when you're pausing the TiVo every few seconds to jot down thoughts on your notepad so you don't forget anything important.

~~~~~~SPOILER ALERT~~~~~~~~

After the recap, we launch into the...uh...non-action. Dean is sitting on the end of a pier beside a peaceful lake fishing. It was such an odd image that my brain didn't really engage until Castiel suddenly popped up next to Dean and Dean realized he was dreaming. Cryptic Castiel says he wants to talk to Dean but that it's not safe to talk in Dean's head -- someone might be listening. He hands Dean a piece of paper and tells him to meet him there, now. Dean then wakes up, and we next see him and Sam picking their way through some appropriately dark and dismal building. It's seen better days, and Dean comments that, "There was a fight here." After they spot a painted symbol on the wall, they find Castiel on the floor. Only...

He's not Castiel anymore. Rather, he's Jimmy Novak from Pontiac, Illinois -- aka the person whom Castiel possessed so that he could be seen and heard by humans like Dean. And considering Jimmy has been possessed by an angel for nearly a year, he's way hungry and is eating himself silly in the next scene. Even Dean, who can put away a lot of food, says, "You mind slowing down? You're gonna give me angina."

When the boys ask him what he remembers, he says only bits and pieces. And worst of all, he doesn't remember what Castiel was going to tell Dean or where Castiel has gone. We see the first of Jimmy's flashbacks to his pre-possessed days. He has a wife and daughter, is a devout man, and falls asleep in front of the TV like just about every other man in America. Only I'm doubting that those guys wake up to find their TV freaking out, then hear a piercing noise, and fall to the floor in a seizure. At least I hope not.

As the Winchester boys are apt to do, they disagree about what to do with Jimmy. And this scene illustrates again how much the boys' viewpoints have swapped places. Dean wants to put Jimmy on a bus home to his family; Sam doesn't want to lose the only lead they have to what has happened to Castiel. Besides, he says, if they want to find out what Jimmy might not even realize he remembers, they can bet the demons do too.

Next, we see Sam standing in the motel room with Jimmy asleep in one bed and Dean asleep in the other. He sneaks outside and takes a hit of demon blood from a flask. Oh, no! My Sammy's a demon blood junkie! :( And he lets Jimmy escape while he's doing it.

Jimmy has made it to the bus, and we see another flashback. This time, it's the radio that is going all super-static. When Jimmy's wife, Amelia, arrives home and finds Jimmy with his arm in a pot of boiling water, she freaks. But when he pulls his arm free of the water, it's uninjured and he says Castiel told him to do it to prove his faith. Of course, Amelia just thinks he's had a mental break, which I really don't understand considering the evidence. I mean, how could she explain the injured arm pulled from the boiling water?

Back in the present, the boys are driving down the road, not talking. When Anna pops into the back seat and says "hi", the boys are understandably freaked and the Impala weaves across the road before Dean shoots off a comment about her calling ahead, and then another about her looking good. Ah, Dean being Dean. But the light moment is short-lived when she reveals that Cas has been dragged back to Heaven because he evidently really ticked someone off. At this point, I started to worry that this might be the end of Cas and very nearly yelled "No!" at the TV. I love his character and Misha's portrayal of him.

While I wanted to see the return of Castiel (and in Misha's form), I did hurt for what Jimmy has given up. It's been nearly a year since he's seen Amelia and their daughter, Claire. When he arrives home, he watches them through the window before going to the door and ringing the doorbell. How sad is it to have to ring the doorbell of your own home? While standing there, we see another flashback in which Amelia tells him to take his pills because she obviously thinks he's lost touch with reality, and if he doesn't she's doing to take Claire and leave. Back in the present, he decides to tell Amelia he's been away at a psych clinic rather than ruin his return by telling her the truth. They decide to take it in small steps, starting with a meal of sandwiches over which he says he will not be saying grace.

But the peace is short-lived. A friend from before he left comes by, and Jimmy is glad to see him. While Amelia goes to get the friend a beer, he leads Jimmy into another room. Wait for it...yep, the friend isn't the friend anymore. He's possessed by a demon who says he's going to kill Claire. When Amelia returns to the room, she thinks Jimmy is still crazy because he's beating his friend, saying he's a demon, and telling her to run. Amelia doesn't believe until the friend grabs Claire and brings a knife to her throat, the guy's wife (also possessed) joins the party, and the Winchester boys arrive just in time to save the day. We see further proof that something is wiggy with Sam because he's too weak to exorcise a lower demon when he previously could take on the likes of Alastair. When Dean later asks him about it and says he's scaring him, Sam admits that he's scaring himself.

The boys convince Jimmy that his family will only be safe if he leaves them behind -- forever. Poor Jimmy, he's facing a Winchester fate of a never-ending battle and life on the road. But wait! There's 20 minutes of the episode left. Jimmy gets a call, supposedly from Amelia. Alas, she's now possessed by a demon too, and the Impala gets turned around so Jimmy can save his wife and daughter. Only, the demon Amelia shoots him in the gut and tells her goons to kill Claire. This time, it's Castiel who shows up just in time, in Claire's body, and takes care of the baddies. A dying Jimmy begs Castiel to take him and let his daughter be because he knows what's in store for her if Cas stays in her vessel. Cas takes him up on his offer, and poor Jimmy's short return to his normal life and family comes to an end. I was glad to have Cas back, but I was sad for Jimmy and his family.

When Dean asks Cas what he wanted to tell him, we learn that the Cas we have now is much more like the version we saw when we first appeared to Dean in human form and not the Cas of recent episodes. He says he learned his lesson while whe was away. "I serve Heaven, not man, and certainly not you." Ouch! This tidbit left me with questions: Did he mean what he said? If so, what did they do to him to change his tune? And if not, when will we find that out? Will we see Castiel fall? That's what I had been expecting before the end of the season, but Kripke and company threw me a curve ball.

The jam-packed episode isn't finished yet though. Bobby calls and tells Sam that he and Dean need to get to this house pronto.

Sam: "What's going on?"Bobby: "The apocalypse, genius. Now get your asses over here."

When they arrive, Sam asks what the big demon problem is as he walks into a metal cell (Is this the spirit-proof room?). Bobby, with a sad but determined look on his face, says, "You are. This is for your own good," and locks him inside as Dean watches. I have to admit I didn't see this coming until Sam walked in that room. This, combined with the previews of coming episodes, drives an even bigger wedge between Sam and Dean, and I'm afraid of what's to come. I hope we don't have a fifth season with them on opposite sides, coming together only at the end. That would blow.

So, what are your thoughts about "The Rapture?" How do you think this season will end?